Person:Ann Randall (3)

Ann Randall was baptised on 26th October 1777 at Stotfold in Bedfordshire, daughter of Sarah Randall, formerly Plummer, and her husband John Randall, a salesman. John died in November 1779, when Ann was just two years old.

By 1796, Ann was living at Astwick, immediately north of Stotfold. On 13th October 1796, aged about nineteen, Ann was married at Astwick to William Bryant, a blacksmith from the neighbouring parish of Hinxworth.

After their marriage, Ann and William settled in Hinxworth, having seven children there between 1797 and 1816. Their only daughter died as a baby in 1801. Their six sons all lived to adulthood.

Back in Stotfold, Ann’s mother died in 1829.

The 1841 census finds Ann and William living on the High Street in Hinxworth, apparently next door to the Three Horseshoes public house. Old maps and photographs show that there was a forge next door to the Three Horseshoes, which is presumably therefore where William worked, and quite likely also how the pub got its name.

William died in September 1849, aged 74.

Ann continued running the smithy herself after William's death, being described in the 1851 census as a blacksmith employing six men. Quite likely some or all of them were her six sons, five of whom were also described as blacksmiths in that census, and all were living in either Hinxworth or the neighbouring parish of Ashwell. Ann was still living next door to the Three Horseshoes and she had two of her grandchildren living with her.

Ann died on 21st October 1854 at Hinxworth, aged about 77.

Signature from marriage register.

1. ↑ Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service. Transcript of Stotfold Parish Registers.

   Baptisms 1777: Oct 26 Ann d Jn & Sar Randall

   This baptism has been linked to the Ann Randall who married William Bryant on the basis of the 1851 census, in which she indicated that she had been born around 1777 at Stotfold.

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 446; Book 7; Folio 7; Page 8, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: High Street, Hinxworth, Hertfordshire
   Will[ia]m Briant, male, 66 [1774/5], Blacksmith, born in county
   Ann Briant, female, 63 [1777/8], not born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1707; Folio 532; Page 7, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: High Street [next door to Three Horseshoes], Hinxworth, Hertfordshire
   Ann Briant, head, widow, female, 73 [1777/8], Blacksmith employing 6 men, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Henry Briant, grandson, male, 15 [1835/6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Hinxworth, Hertfordshire
   Mary Bryant, granddaughter, female, 15 [1835/6], Straw Plaiter, b. Hinxworth, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Registration District Royston
   1854 Death in the Sub-district of Royston in the Counties of Huntingdon [sic] Essex & Cambridge
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   369	Twenty first October 1854 Hinxworth	Ann Briant	female	77 years [1776/7]	Widow of William Briant Blacksmith	Decay of Nature Certified	W. Briant present at the Death Hinxworth	Sixth November 1854	Josias Johnson Registrar

5. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Parish registers of Hinxworth, 1551-1985. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Hinxworth in the County of Hertford in the Year 1854
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   290	Ann Bryant	Hinxworth	October 25	77 years [1776/7]	J.R. Lafont

6.   Cambridge Independent Press, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 8, Saturday 28 Oct 1854.

   DEATHS.
   BRIANT – At Hinxworth, on the 21st inst, Ann, widow of the late Mr. W. Briant, blacksmith.